University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Linking limnology to cyanotoxins in drinking water using buoy sensors and auto-sampling

Project Description:

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee are using high-resolution sensors and a new automated sampling device to investigate relationships between immunological variables and the presence of cyanotoxins in lakes and drinking water. Using Lake Winnebago in the Lake Michigan watershed and a drinking water treatment plant drawing from the lake as models, investigators are deploying buoy sensors to measure physical variables and algal pigments. They are also measuring nutrients, community composition, and cyanotoxins in preserved water samples collected by the automated sampler. The project uses novel instrumentation to investigate environmental conditions that favor production of cyanobacteria toxins in lakes and their occurrence in drinking water, filling a significant data gap. Data from the project will be used to produce descriptive and predictive models to prevent human exposure to cyanotoxins in lakes and drinking water.